The Dynamic Chronicles
by Simetra Kain
Summary: Two opposing individuals, one legendary duo.
1. Hot Pursuit

Woot! The first chapter has finally arrived! I can't help but think that this chapter will hopefully be written as well as I expect it to be; but who knows? I thank all my friends (especially Silver) who have supported me to create this story.

**Disclaimer: The story and mentioned characters belong to Silver and I, but the original game belongs to the owners of Ragnarok Online.**

Enjoy reading!

Princess Io

* * *

**Job00: Hot Pursuit**

It wasn't the crisp sunlight that penetrated the deep forest of Payon that had awoken him. In fact, he was quite used to the fact that the large forest had finally given way to the glaring white sun's shining glory. The soft breeze silently followed, making the young man shiver a little at the sudden chill.

_"Looks like another typical day in Payon...I'm betting people are beginning to awaken."_ He thought, yawning casually and stretching out the small kinks in his muscles and joints he slept on during the previous night.

Strangely enough, Silver, a well-known sniper in the bustling town of Payon had slept where he usually does when he's too tired to go in his small cottage. Ruffling through his dark evergreen locks, he shook out remnants of twigs and leaves that had fallen into the small crevices before he woke up.

Yawning once more, Silver calmly placed a hand across his forehead to gaze intently on the warm sunlight that greeted him on this fine morning. Today was definitely going to be a good one, not to mention he was rearing to get some food and take a long bath since his recent reconnaissance work that seemed to have taken all night.

Grabbing his quiver and bow that hung lazily on a couple branches, the sniper jumped down from the treetop and onto the ground with a soft landing. Brushing off excess debris that flew into the air and mingled around him, Silver treaded toward the town of archers.

--

Along the way, various creatures such as poring and lunatic had passed the young man by without so much as a peaceful humming or bouncing on the dirt road. Silver smiled at them, a small curt grin that passed his lips before it disappeared and was replaced with his usual solemn stature.

Sighing, he could already hear the loud noises of bargains and people asking for zeny to pay for things other blacksmiths or alchemists sold in their shops. Many people were kind enough to greet him as he arrived with nothing more than a simple bow and their routine phrase, "Welcome to Payon adven—oh! Good morning Silver! Safely returning from your journey?" and what not.

He returned the greeting and then went along his way for breakfast and the inn to wash up. As the sniper approached a nearby apple cart, something, rather, someone caught his keen eye. Acting discreet so as to not bring attention toward them, the figure appeared to be a native, just a traveler who had come for a pit stop or to leave again.

The only distinct characteristics however, kept Silver guessing. The cloaked figure wore a large tan overcoat with the hood shadowing their face from recognition. Their hands were also hidden inside the coat, and as they walked past the youthful adult, it only made Silver narrow his eyes in suspicion.

"Who may I ask are they?" Silver asked the vendor, who looked at the retreating figure, the small ends of the cape brushing against the flat grassland majestically. Silver held his gaze toward the mysterious person, and then turned his attention back to the salesman.

He paid the fare of 1,000z for a couple loaves of bread and a few cucumbers and bananas, until the vendor caught his shoulder when the young man turned to leave.

"From what I heard, they're a native, probably from the east. They haven't been here long, only about two days before we got word you were coming back. But, if I were you, I'd stay out of their way, you remember the last time we had a native pass through this peaceful town, the locals had their homes burned down and—" He started, but Silver rudely cut him off.

"I know…" He responded, bowing a small bow before turning on his heel toward the market for other good to supply on.

The market, as busy as usual, had people talking to others and shouting offers left and right. Silver was used to this however, and paid no heed to vendors and other travelers that came in need of selling or buying goods. Finally, he reached the nearby inn past the market and down south of the gate.

* * *

Unfortunately, someone else had burst through the doors, the owner of the inn shouting and throwing projectiles toward the agile escapee. "Stop! Thief!" The aged man bellowed angrily, stomping his feet like a child having a tantrum.

As the person ran out of range, Silver effortlessly pulled out a single arrow from his lightweight quiver and twirled it between his slender fingers. Without so much as a glimpse of what direction the cloaked thief had run toward, the sniper had released the slim arrow from between his grip and the sturdy Hunter Bow he had been using for years on end.

The arrow surged toward its target like a heat seeking missile, the skinny object gradually gaining speed and eventually glowing with its familiar distinguished shade of bright silver; like the title he wore. An egotistical grin graced Silver's masculine features as his hawk eyes watched the arrow soar without restraint, missing each civilian and other adventurer like it ran on its own sonar beacon.

People saw in amazement, the arrow closing the distance in each passing second. Many thought it would instantly penetrate the thief who was attempting a smooth getaway. Unfortunately, the arrow, though throw with perfect precision and aim, had been…caught!

Silver's eyes widened slightly, a thin dark eyebrow curtly rose up. This wasn't an ordinary person, but someone who may have the potential to put up a fight against him.

The arrow had been wedged in between the cloaked figure's hands like a sandwich. While still in the air, the figure smirked out of confidence and smugly sent the arrow screaming back toward its original owner. The projectile and flown itself against its master unwillingly, but Silver flawlessly dodged it. For a few seconds, Silver's own dark amber pupils gazed into the moonlight depths of the cloaked person's.

One gaze burned into the other, as if talking telekinetically without anyone interfering from the sidelines. Just as they had appeared, the refugee disappeared as a few leaves had come across their body. Blinking a couple times, the sniper narrowed his stare when he noticed that everyone surrounding him had gone back to business.

He quickly realized that what he had seen was only an illusion, nothing more than a simple figment of his imagination. Or…was he the only one with such skill and ability to?

Later on that day, Silver began contemplating the mysterious identity of the opponent he faced off for a brief moment. He began thinking about what the perpetrator may have intended to do in the first place. Certainly no common thief would just sprint in and out of an inn empty handed…

He turned back toward the owner of the inn, sheathing his Hunter Bow onto his back where it belonged. "What did that person steal from you?" The aged man still looked like he had suffered from severe exposure to the sun, as if he were looking to fight someone.

"That damn thief stole my priceless jewels! It's a precious family heirloom! Please, get it back from him." The man begged desperately, getting on his knees on the dirt ground to demonstrate to Silver just how much he really desired their return.

The sniper said nothing, instead turning his gaze to the sun that perched upon the curtain of see-through clouds. He then made his way past the man and into the inn, still set on washing up and taking a nap before going after the cloaked thief.

After preparing his long awaited bath in his temporary residence, Silver finally had time to himself to think about a plan to take this common thief by surprise. It didn't take long; he would simply chase or ambush them and ask a few choice questions.

Of course, knowing "thieves" these days, they have a high tolerance for intimidation; it's their profession after all. But, if this cloaked man had a weak mind, then this would be as easy as tracking down people oblivious to the environment…even sometimes royalty who have lived their entire lives in a castle they described prison-like.

However, this time of tranquility was shortly interrupted. The candles began stirring, warning Silver of the dangers from outside the bathroom of his rented room. His meticulous hearing caught light footsteps creaking gently against the finely polished wooden floor. The young adult judged the footsteps' distance, pressure and consistency.

Silver couldn't help but smirk out of confidence again that day.

"_This guy doesn't know when to quit…kleptomaniac."_ He thought, holding back a small chuckle so as to not break the silence between the two opponents. Without enough time to completely dress, he reluctantly had his small Fenrir Damascus at hand near the moist wooden counter top.

With only his underclothing consisting of a light tunic, leather slacks, a pair of socks and his trademark goggles adorning his still wet locks of Eden shades, Silver looked nothing more than a person just living in the secluded forest town.

Walking carefully on the balls of his feet, the sniper could expertly make out the faint outline of the thief from earlier that day the moonlight that peeked in through the curtains. Like any other unskilled beginner thief, Silver's target had their back to him, who seemed to be searching through his belongings for something useful.

Before they could search even further in his small pack, Silver held the dagger to the shadowed figure's neck. "Couldn't help but come back for a second helping I see." He informed in a mocking tone. A small 'humph' and Silver could instantly tell the mysterious person was devilishly smiling at his empty remark.

With reflexes like a feline's, the concealed perpetrator spun around at a perfect angle and parried Silver's Damascus with their own personal weapon. It was at first something he hadn't seen before, but then remembering one of his travels toward the east, he recognized just what the weapon was.

The two began to clash metal against metal in an epic battle for dominance. Each blade crushed so harshly on one another, friction began to reveal itself between the sharpened edges. The clanks were so loud, it began to awaken the other residents and owner late in the night.

Today was just full of surprises for the adult sniper, not only did the shadowed man prove himself worthy of fighting back with just as much skill, but that he wasn't an ordinary thief.

Silver narrowed his gaze in a bit of frustration, each slash and forward stab he initiated, the man before him parried or reflected with exact precision and grace. Finally, one drew blood and stopped all action for a few seconds of realization.

The sniper gleamed a cocky smile, he observed his opponent's movements and withdrawals in order to find the perfect moment to attack; and he completed his motion successfully.

Rich ruby blood dripped in small quantities onto the flawless floor from the man's left hand, the limb he had been using to defend himself from Silver. The injury turned out to be deep, and stretched from in between his forefinger and middle finger. The open wound had stopped abruptly where the bottom of his hand and wrist met.

The gash continued to bleed profusely, and the thief didn't seem to care or notice at all. Silver basked in the interesting sight, slightly letting his guard down by the distraction of the enigmatic moon rays that hit the person's figure at certain angles.

However, their battle had ensued once more, their blades pivoting and complimenting each step they took. A dark tone of ice began to paint itself a colorful image of light and shadows. The aura emitting off the two fighting classes skyrocketed spontaneously, the noise rising louder in volume.

--

Soon the entire town was awake, stricken dumbfounded by the unwanted dispute.

The owned had made an appearance, his eyes widening in utter surprise and acting as if he were taken aback by this event. "Kill him!" He waved his fist in anger, ignoring the fact he was only worsening the fact he was "disturbing the peace".

Ignoring the old man's demands to have him killed, Silver lunged forward again with his shiny dagger and had torn a piece of the cloak. The small shreds had fallen to the floor like feathers belonging to a raven's wings. They had mixed themselves with the crimson blood that had spread itself upon the wood, scarring it with a shallow puddle of lost life.

Predicting this battle should come to an end, it was inevitable Silver would be victorious in this battle. The sniper could tell his adversary was glaring an indefinite expression, basically spelling out, _"We'll finish this later."_ As a lasting memory, the man before Silver brought out an object unfamiliar to identify and flung it before disappearing out the open window.

The projectile swirled at an unbeatable speed, and Silver attempted dodging it before deciding to chase after them. The old man was in shock, fallen onto the ground and clutching his chest as if he were suffering from a heart attack.

The object that had been thrown had imbedded itself into the wall just a half inch from where the aged owner's face was currently positioned mere seconds earlier. Turning and looking over his left shoulder, Silver sighed and placed his Damascus back into its hilt.

He calmly pulled out the object that impaled the wall with little effort to examine it closely. It was something he hadn't seen before, but since the darkness of the room wasn't helping, he told the old man to light a candle and then get out.

He complied, pulling out a match and then placing the oil candle so he could go back to sleep. "You had better catch him…" Those bitter words of vengeance had passed his lips, but were quietly swallowed up by Silver's hard stare.

No matter how many times he had turned it over and over again, the sniper just couldn't figure out what the weapon was. It was metal, with worn bandages that had faded to a light tan shade around the handle. There was also a circle that was shaped just above the handle, possibly a place for a finger to be comfortable in. Just below the end of the handle, was a diamond like blade with a fine point at the very tip.

Silver just brushed his finger against the tip, and saw a tiny trail of blood leaking out. "Hmm…" He exhaled a breath he had been holding, safely shifting the odd looking dagger as it turned out to be. The cold metal seemed to be biting unknowingly at his skin, as if it was unhappy the sniper was wielding it.

He clenched the dagger-like object with a new plan of attack. Before grabbing his outer wear and packing up, Silver decided to leave a small fee of zeny for the owner, courtesy of permitted his stay. However, something didn't seem quite right when the youth returned to the nightstand adjacent to the unused bed.

The entire pack was missing!

"Dammit…" He muttered underneath his breath, tucking the dagger that had gotten left behind in his vest pocket.

Without any rational thought, Silver quickly made his way toward the opened window and jumped out. His light jog progressed quickly into a long sprint toward the dark forest, in search of one thing only.

Minutes later, the owner had entered the vacant room to find a stray note placed neatly on top of the plain bed.

"_Hopefully my debt to you will suffice in place of the fee I must pay. I'm unsure of when I will return the favor of giving me a temporary place of rest, though I will make it my mission to gather your missing jewels. Please be patient. Thank you."_

At the bottom signed to perfection were of two letters that belonged to the traveler that called Payon his home. It was written with intricate strokes, like the ink had flown out of the quilted pen he used. The letters shined proudly like a reflection in a mirror, with another trademark arrow shot right in the center of the double "S" 's.

* * *

A word from the author…

I know there are mistakes. So, I hope to catch those sooner or later. If you find any, let me know, I'd appreciate it. Review please!


	2. Midnight Rendezvous

Woohoo! Silver has finally posted the second installment of this epic tale! Sorry for the delay guys, since it's a collab, it's a little more difficult, considering that the two of us are sharing this wonderful story. (Smiles)

I'll tell you one thing though; this guy knows how to write. It's definitely dynamic and lives up to the name itself.

So, here we go!

Princess Io

* * *

**Job01: Midnight Rendezvous**

The thief seemed to glide through the tree limbs as he made his escape from the inn. He had claimed the innkeeper's jewels and Silver's pack as his prize and was not about to give them up.

As far as this thief knew, he would be within the clear within several more minutes of fleeing.

At least, he thought that until an arrow passed less than an inch from his head and imbedded itself within the next tree limb he was jumping to. Acting fast, he quickly jumped from the tree limb and landed behind the trunk of another tree just in time to avoid two more arrows wiz by him.

"_Shoot! There's no way he could've caught up to me that fast,"_ The thief thought to himself as he reached into his cloak to pull out three uniquely styled throwing knives, _"Ok, we'll do this the hard way."_

The thief mad a sudden dash from behind the tree trunk and instantly began scanning his surroundings to detect any incoming projectiles, or if he got lucky, the person firing them.

Almost immediately the hum of two arrows could be heard coming from his right as he jumped up and hurled to of the throwing knives to deflect them away.

The sparks they made lit up the immediate area in the dark forest which gave the young adult sniper a much clearer shot as he fired a third arrow. The third throwing knife too deflected it as the thief landed, but something went wrong.

The ground he landed on was unexpectedly uneven which nearly threw him off balanced as he landed.

With no time to recover, a fourth arrow could be heard homing in directly to his face as he looked up. With almost no time to react, he leaned back as far as he could as the arrow came so close to his face that its feathers brushed against his nose.

Understandably this made the thief more nervous by the second as he was forced to take cover again.

"_This won't work,"_ the thief thought to himself as he silently caught his breath from his near death experience, _"I was hoping I would have to use this, but it seems that I have underestimated my pursuer,"_ he thought to himself as he pulled out a dark colored stone and placed it within his palms as he formed a hand sign.

"_Whoever this guy is, he's got some decent reflexes to still be alive after all those arrows,"_ the confident sniper thought to himself as he stood in a tree and readied another arrow.

In an unexpected move, the thief made an unexpected charge in his direction. Although caught off guard, he wasn't about to let an easy shot get away from him.

"You're either confident or desperate," the sniper spoke out loud as he fired one well-placed shot that pierced the thief's heart.

"Are you naïve or stupid?" the thief asked right before his body exploded into dust.

Before the sniper could react, two identical figured leaped before him with knives ready to slit his throat. The sniper was forced to leap as hard as he could out of the tree to avoid a fatal blow.

While one knife caught a little of his hair, the other caught his sniping suit in the chest area.

"Take this!" the sniper shouted as he unleashed a Double Strafing to take out both figures at once. They too disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"What kind of trick is this?" he questioned out loud as he landed on the soft ground.

Reacting quickly to the sound of running footsteps, he quickly gripped his Damascus and ducked the slash to his backside, and delivered a well-placed stab. This attack proved to be in vein as this figure disappeared like the three before it.

Almost immediately, he could feel the wind pressure rapidly changing behind him and was hit with a strong wind element attack that cut him and his clothes up as he crashed into the bushes.

"What's wrong? I expected more of a challenge from someone who caught up to me so fast," the thief taunted.

"_Ok, lets think,"_ Silver thought to himself.

"_I know assassins have a throwing knife skill, but those knives are different. They're just like the one back at the inn. A rogue can copy skills, but even they can't make illusions of themselves. Wait…illusions? I see now,"_ a smirk grew on Silver's face a he realized that he wasn't fighting a thief, but a different class altogether.

"You're not dead already are you? It was just getting fun," the thief continued to taunt.

"You want fun? I'll show you fun," Silver's voice was suddenly heard in the bushes.

"This is gonna be interesting. I've never fought anyone from the Ninja class before, but there's a first time for everything. You're not the only one with tricks up your sleeve."

"Is that right?" the thief threw a knife into the bushes, but found himself hitting nothing more than a Talkie Box Trap, _"Uh oh…"_

"I'm called The Silver Sniper for a reason, and you're about to find out why first hand!" his voice seemed to echo throughout Payon Forest.

* * *

"Illusionary Shadow!" the ninja shouted to make five of himself instead of one.

They quickly dispersed in the forest in search of Silver. With seemingly no chance of escape, the only choice left was to fight. As one clone found his way on some high ground, the silhouette of Silver could be seen for a split second within the treetops.

As the clone attempted to pursuit him, he triggered a well-placed Flasher Trap, which gave Silver a clear shot to destroy him. The original ninja was able to sense that his clone had been defeated, and now there were just four of him left.

Two of the clones teamed up in an effort to lure Silver into a trap of their own. As Silver stalked one of them down from the treetops, the other got behind him and unleashed his Wind Blade jutsu against him. Silver turned to duck and weave through the treetops as the other clone turned around to assist his jutsu-spamming partner.

As they charged him once they were all on the ground, Silver grabbed hold of a rope he tied from a tree branch to the ground and cut it. He was propelled well into the air as the two clones slid to where he was once standing and triggered a Blast mine. Three down, two to go.

Both the original and the remaining clone had their backs together in a desperate attempt to keep from getting snuck up on. The sound of leaves rustling in the treetops could be heard as animals began to stir from the commotion. Suddenly the sound of snapping wood could be heard from above.

Large tree limbs came crashing down which forced the two to jump away in separate directions. The original darted down a dark trail while the clone was hit by an arrow in his right side and destroyed. All the clones had been destroyed, and now only the original remained.

"I see you…" Silver's voice whispered from directly behind the ninja. He spun around and slashed quickly in the dark air only to realize that he had triggered another Talkie Trap.

"Just a Talkie Trap…" the ninja spoke quietly.

"Maybe, but it sure helped me find you," Silver spoke as he patted the ninja on the shoulder.

As the ninja spun quickly to attack, he was met with a fierce roundhouse kick to the chest which threw him into the trunk of a large tree where he was then pinned there by several arrows shot simultaneously by Silver.

"Game over…" Silver said as he approached his out of breath captive.

A puff of smoke exploded around the ninja before Silver got to him. Silver was sure that he had destroyed all the clones, so he was confused for a few moments.

"Oh great," Silver said as he watched the smoke dissipate. "This better not have been another clone."

Surprisingly for him, this wasn't a clone. He had succeeded in catching the would-be thief. However the smoke that dissolute was from a jutsu previously used before their confrontation in the inn.

Silver's jaw was left hanging wide open as he saw the effects of this jutsu wear off.

"Ok…you caught me," spoke a new voice, "So what now big shot?"

In all his experiences, which are a lot considering his age, this was something that no amount of his training could have prepared him for. Silver was allowed a better look as the moonlight peeked through the treetops.

Its light reflected from the burgundy and aquamarine eyes of his captive and the locks of chocolate hair shined in the moonlight. Not only was this thief not actually a "thief", but also this man wasn't actually a "man". This man was actually a girl!

* * *

Commentary…

Ya know that seemed a lot longer when I was typing that up. Compared to TS's (Princess Io) first chapter, mine seems dwarfed.

Either way, I hope you all like it. This is helping me get back into the loop of writing.


	3. Frozen Alliance

So, I really don't have much of a commentary, except for a few choice words to all the readers/reviewers.

You haven't seen **ANYTHING** yet. Enjoy reading. Hope you review!

Princess Io

* * *

**Job02: Frozen Alliance**

The victor of the match, still in his recent state of shock, held his mouth slightly agape from being taken off guard. He couldn't believe what he was seeing, let alone hearing. Silver blinked his eyes excessively, to see if the so-called illusion in front of him was nothing more than his imagination.

However, it wasn't.

The girl before him rolled her eyes before releasing an exasperated sigh. She eyed the sniper from her seated position before crossing her arms nonchalantly.

"What? Never seen a girl before?" Painted her face as she quirked an eyebrow, still silent. Her facetious remark was clearly annoyed by the expression Silver was giving her.

Clearing his throat, the sniper leaned back in a comfortable stature, his feet balanced evenly on the dirt ground. He took deliberate steps toward the ninja and held out his hand in her face. "Give me the jewels you stole."

She rebuked in disgust and pushed his hand away roughly. "You won't even ask for my name out of courtesy?" An eyebrow creased downward, a sheer sign that she was getting a little irritated by Silver's impatient behavior.

He gritted his teeth, opting to prevent unnecessary banter to escape the confines of his mouth. "I don't give a damn about your name. Now, hand them over." Silver gripped the collar of her uniform, the fabric bunched up in his large gloved palm.

"Over my dead body. These jewels are mine. That guy stole them from ME and I have a right to—"

Before the young woman could finish retaliating, a distinct smell passed into her nostrils. Her eyes widened and so did Silver's. Both quickly turned their attention to the direction of the traveling smoke. "_Smoke!"_ They thought in unison, wordlessly contemplating how to handle the dire situation. Silver released his hard grip from the girl's clothing and stepped a few paces backward. He eyed her, his hardened expression painted upon his visage

"You stay here." It wasn't a suggestion, but a command with no expectation of the girl to reject his statement.

With the quick snap of his fingers from his left hand, the ground below the seated girl began to shake uncontrollably. It erupted and dirt had risen everywhere. The dust cleared after a few seconds, and the ninja was forcibly enclosed in a hidden trap he planted.

"What the hell?! You jerk! Let me out of here now!" She sat and yelled threateningly. The cage she was confined to held her in a tight space, only allowing a certain amount of movement.

The girl began to reach for her kunai pouch to slice her way out of Silver's prison.

Silver smirked much to her displeasure when he reached to pull something out that the girl instantly recognized. He held the pouch and dangled it just inches from her, taunting and silently teasing. She reached for it and Silver placed it back in it's place; his back pocket.

"Stay." He told her, his face inches from the trap. She blinked, and he disappeared quicker than the wind.

* * *

As Silver approached the grounds of Payon, he shielded his face from the powerful gases and fumes that had been thrown at him. He searched wildly around through the many huts for people in need of help.

Luckily, the Biochemists and Master Smiths that were vending at the town were attempting to douse the lethal flames from harming the simple buildings further.

Silver helped as much as he could, shooting crystal arrows in various directions. Each arrow that came in contact with fire, the tip instantly dispersed and released the liquid like a water balloon. He continued to do so until a civilian came to him, tugging desperately on his clothing.

"Please! My daughter, she's stuck in that hut on the second floor! You've got to help me get her, please Silver Sniper!" The man begged, panic evident in his dark pupils.

Silver nodded and laid a hand on the man's shoulder. He reassured him that he'd successfully retrieve his daughter. At that, he disappeared into the lethal fires of the hut.

A hand instinctively covered his mouth to prevent further coughing reflexes to commence. The sniper quickly searched around, his keen eyesight meticulously gazing at each square inch despite the carbon monoxide in the atmosphere. Finally, a small and quiet whimper had caught his hearing.

Pushing aside fallen pieces of wood, Silver successfully reached the child, his objective. She appeared to be no older than ten or eleven, and was only an average leveled novice. The girl hiccupped in Silver's presence, then blinked tears away to get a better look at her rescuer's face.

He gave her a small smile before taking the girl's hand to help her stand. But only seconds after she had stood did Silver suddenly lose his balance. A sharp pain had rendered him weak in an instant, and he was shocked before he could realize the situation.

He cringed, hands coming up to cradle the place of injury, but he had blacked out before given the opportune moment.

"_Never trust what your eyes always see…"_ Those words rang true in his ear canals within the darkness.

--

"Friggin' sniper…" The ninja grumbled, fidgeting in the trap Silver had left behind that kept her imprisoned. She belatedly scolded herself, over the fact she had overlooked her position in the forest when he unleashed a hidden move upon her.

It was simply ridiculous, she, a highly skilled ninja falling prey to nothing more than a trick of the light or Silver's distracting questions. If only she hadn't slashed out at those 'Talkie Boxes'…then maybe she wouldn't have ended up being captured under false charges.

The girl huffed and leaned her chin to rest comfortably against the face of her palm. She balanced her elbow on her left knee while she contemplated her next strategy. Surely this trap would eventually run its time out like any other right? By that time, she will be free to run off with her jewels that she rightfully stole back. Or rather, reclaimed.

"_Then again…"_ She thought, suddenly looking toward the crimson smoke surrounding Payon a few miles away from her.

Her mind told her to flee after the timer ran out on this contraption, while her heart told her to go help her opponent to save innocent lives from eternal peril.

The former options sounded quite tempting, but the latter, if not chosen would have her feel ashamed and regretful. "Damn…might as well go help. I'm not **that** selfish." She sighed, unsheathing a hidden kunai she kept strapped to her left thigh.

The flawless silver metal shined of Mythril, a rare alloy that can only be found in one place in the world. It was well-guarded and hidden under mass amounts of land, how the girl had some stored and fabricated into a special kunai was beyond discovery.

She turned the kunai over in her hand a couple times, admiring its beautiful shape and make. It fit into her hand perfectly, and had been carved with exact precision compared to her regular throwing kunai she used on a regular basis.

Her opposite hand traced the crest that had also been hand drawn and painted with specified colors and tones. It harbored a nostalgic feeling that filled her soul, and gave her enough power to fully draw its essence to her being.

A supercilious grin spread across her lips, it was time to use this newly gained power to its full advantage and potential. She quickly performed a sequence of hand symbols, and then kept her hands intertwined together.

"Release!"

The trap broke by her command, and had fallen to several pieces. The parts were brittle underneath the grip she had on it, and she looked around satisfied the technique had worked. The kunai glinted against the moonlight, and the girl clutched her fist in determination.

"Time to go play the good guy." She chuckled, placing her hands together again.

Her body had materialized into nothing when she used a teleport ability. The only remnants left behind were black raven flower petals, the symbol of her type of class.

* * *

The girl became whole again as she copied the same technique she had earlier. Eyes narrowed, the ninja quickly surveyed the proximity; flames were ablaze everywhere she looked, as well as many lives at stake. But…where was **he**?

How interesting, now she suddenly started thinking of Silver's safety…hah! That'd be the day. Shaking such thoughts from her mind, she focused all her energy on a new ability she had gained only months prior to this very incident.

"_Blind Eye!__"_ Her mind rang like a glass bell, the sound echoing through her subconscious. Eyes closed again, the girl held onto one of the arrows she had liberated from Silver. Just that arrow alone was more than enough for her to search for an identical signature.

In other words, to find the same heat distribution among the rising temperatures of the fire and isolate it to one spot. It took several minutes, until something had matched her beacon. _"Bingo!"_

She jumped off the branched she had been perched on and quickly dashed her way to the selected location. However, a man had stopped her. "Please! Young lady, my daughter and Silver Sniper are trapped in that hut!"

Instead of answering, she gave him a curt nod and ran off into the fiery building. One sure kick toward the blocked entrance, and a new opening was easily created among the debris.

"Hey! If you can hear me, it'd be a lot easier to find you!" The ninja shouted, walked about on the tips of her toes so as to not step incorrectly on wooden floorboard. Groaning could be heard nearby, and she rushed toward it.

Coughing, the girl discovered a gloved hand, finally! She stepped back a few feet, and readied another technique. An orb the size of her hand wasn't a dark shadow color like the first one, but instead a water stone.

It shimmered an inscrutable sapphire tint, it mimicked the seas across the globe, such power it possessed, all packed into a circular object with a solid exterior.

"Water Escape Technique!" As she commanded another tech, her fist was raised in the air before she slowly closed her fist holding the orb. Her knuckles relentlessly came in contact with the ground below her, and she imitated a half sitting stance; her right knee matched her closed fist as did with her left limbs.

The clear bodies of water came as summoned and washed away the area she had planned, and extinguished the fire. Silver had emerged from the moist wood, untouched by the water. Soot coated his sniper uniform, but he was reluctant to be alive despite almost burning to death.

But something caught the girl's eye; a dark maroon spot in the middle of Silver's stomach. She quickly came to the assumption that he had been injured, not fatally, but enough necessary for medical attention. He may have endured it long before her arrival, and could possibly still be bleeding if not more than before.

The young man stood and wordlessly gazed toward the girl across from him. She stood only a few inches shorter than him, but she seemed taller with power in her stance. He brushed off a charcoal smudge on the side of his face before speaking.

"Thanks." He muttered, nodding in approval.

"…"

Before she could completely reflect Silver's gratitude the sniper rushed by her and unsheathed his Damascus. It clanked against another tough metal when the girl had turned around. Shock was written all over her flushed features.

Apparently, the girl novice both were sent to go rescue, was nothing more than a Rogue. But, the class didn't have the technique to copy exact images, only other abilities. So…how was this possible?

The girl didn't have time to think, for an Assassin had assisted the Rogue by slashing out at the ninja. Their katars swung heavily in the air, but luckily the girl had back flipped out of harm's way. The vibration emitted from that swing blew the ninja back a significant amount of feet.

Her eyes widened a bit, but she quickly changed expressions to a stern combat ready one. She quickly pulled out the arrow quiver that belonged to Silver and tossed it blindly behind her.

"Head's up!" she yelled over her shoulder, and the man heard her.

Pushing the Rogue off him, he tossed the girl's kunai pouch in exchange while catching his own quiver. Silver pulled out three of his crystal arrows and shot them from his Hunter Bow.

They soared soundlessly through the humid and murky air, one of them piercing the Rogue's right shoulder and deeply punctured the joint.

The hut was starting to rumble, on the edge of total destruction. They had to evacuate, immediately! Silver turned his attention toward the ninja who he still kept hostage. She heard him calling her and looked behind her. Bad move.

Ruby life had created a wound on the girl's shin, an injury she had gotten from another wild slash from the Assassin's katar. The young woman skid backwards, hitting Silver's back. Her stance wavered unevenly on the ground, but Silver held her up.

More thieves began to join the frenzy, obviously entertained by the _uncanny_ duo.

"Give me your name." Silver demanded curtly, readying more crystal arrows through his bow.

"Thought you didn't give a 'damn' about my name." She recanted icily.

"Would you rather be called **clumsy** **girl** for the time being? The least I could do is respect you and call you by a name that you prefer."

"Tch…Shadow. Happy?"

"Ecstatic." He remarked sardonically.

The battle continued onward, energy and adrenaline rushing through the fighters' veins.

* * *

A word from the author…

And then there were three! Finally finished…-phew- Anyway, I know I said I was going to get other fics updated, but this was just lying around in my notebook and I couldn't leave it like that. Stuff like that bugs me to no end until its posted or typed out.

Hoped you enjoyed this school year as much as I did! Ja ne!


	4. Blazing Clash

Here we are again!! Sorry that I haven't updated anything in such a long while…I feel really guilty, but hell – er, school has invaded my life. So that takes priority. However, I was able to update this awesome story. Enjoy! By the way, my friend Silver wrote this chapter, I'll write chapter six very soon.

Princess Io

* * *

**Job03: Blazing Clash**

"This would be a really good time to have one of those teleportation items," Silver panted from exhaustion.

The smoke and heat were draining his stamina like poison, and the extra weight he was now having to help stand was only making it worse, "Don't you ninjas have some sort of teleportation skill?" he asked Shadow.

"I would've teleported myself out long ago if I was able to focus," she responded coldly.

"And here I thought you were being romantic and wanted to die alongside me," Silver frowned sarcastically.

"Here, let me assist you with that," the Assassin's katars shined in the inferno that threatened to take them all to hell.

Looking up with a swaggering smirk, Silver replied, "Thanks, but no thanks."

While keeping his eyes on his attacker, he slammed his free hand down on the floor in front of him. As the bloodstained katar came within inches of his face, he summoned the power of the Sniper's Wind Walk skill and leaped backwards through a broken window with Shadow in tow.

"Oh no you don't!" The assassin prepped himself to pursue their two escapees.

"Wait boss! You're right over a-!!"

One of the thieves warning came too late for them. The assassin was so focused on taking out Silver that he didn't notice that when Silver was pushing away with his right hand, he had actually set a trap to assist in their escape. The explosion from the blast mine proves to be the straw that broke the camel's back for the burning house as it had no problem in bringing down the burning house.

--

Although Silver and Shadow had escaped from the fiery trap, their landing was anything but graceful. They crashed through several tree branches on the way down before their landing was finally broken by thick bushes on the ground.

"Damn, my leg!" Shadow screamed at Silver as she pushed herself off of him, "Are you friggin' crazy?! You almost got us killed with that little stunt of yours!"

"Yeah, almost," Silver replied. "We're still breathing aren't we-oh…" Silver clutched his stomach in pain.

Now that they weren't in any immediate danger, the adrenaline rush was starting to wear off, which unfortunately enabled him to feel pain again, "I'm gonna kick that man's ass if I find him!"

"Maybe you should kick _his_ ass first," Shadow eyed a smoky figure rising from the ashes of the house.

"True Sight!" Silver used another ability of the Sniper class to enhance his overall performance, "At least there's only one this time," he said as he readied a steel arrow to his hunting bow.

The Assassin they were about to leave for dead emerged from the smoke like an ominous storm cloud darkening a sunny day. More blood dripped from his body than the katars which now thirsted for the blood of the Sniper who took out his whole party with a fiery trap.

"You miserable sniper," the Assassin's blades gleamed in the moonlight as he readied himself against his target.

Silver had an arrow ready like a falcon ready to dive bomb its prey. The tip shined as bright as the North Star as he replied, "That's _Silver_ Sniper to you, buddy."

On the other side of the city, more bandits were being fought of as they were raiding everything from vending stands to citizen's houses. Whether it was the motivation of protecting the city, or the motivation to protect their hard earned money that drove the merchants fight with such valor, their strength with maces and axes was undeniable.

Among them was a Mastersmith whose strength seemed unmatched by any other merchant there. He was like a tempest ripping through a large city as he crushed any and all thieves looking for an easy score with his mighty Two-Handed Axe.

This man once served in the Prontera Military, but left after several years of service to start a business and raise a family in Gonryun. He worked part-time as a lumberjack, but his fighting skills were still as sharp as the very axe he wielded.

"Great, just great," the Mastersmith thought out loud, "I'm suppose to be preparing to return home tomorrow morning. Now I have to waste my time fighting off a gang of smalltime thugs!" he yelled as a mighty swing of his axe connected right to the abdomen of a rogue and sent him crashing through a partly burned vending stall.

"Hammer Fall!" he brought down his mighty axe to the ground with such force that the entire ground threatened to split open from the impact. It was enough to knock out any charging thieves and to care any other thieves smart enough into running away.

_"Well I guess that takes care of them,"_ he thought to himself as he rested his axe over his right shoulder, "Now I'll help the citizens with those fires."

* * *

"Hey, you won't believe what I saw!" A citizen spoke to another while helping throw water on the fires.

"What's that?" Another citizen asked.

"Right before someone's house collapsed in flames, I saw _the_ Silver Sniper bust out of a window with some ninja woman in his arm!" he informed to the other.

"Silver?! Are you sure it was him??" A third citizen asked.

"I'm positive! Thieves stormed the house after he and that girl went in, then it practically exploded as they jumped through the window!"

"What happened to those thieves?" The second asked.

"Most of them were trapped when the house came down, but before I left, I caught sight of their leader, an Assassin, come after Silver out of the smoke," The first continued.

"An Assassin?! Do you think he's going to be ok?" The third asked.

"That's Silver you're talking about! Of course he'll be ok! Even if more thieves join in, I hear ninjas have awesome magic skills, so that ninja will easily be able to back him up."

_"So, Silver's here,"_ the Mastersmith thought to himself, _"He should be fine, but it's been a while since I've seen him. Save me a piece of that action Silver! I'm on my way!"_

--

Five more rogues had already joined the fight by the time the Mastersmith decided to give the unlikely duo a hand. Shadow had no problem keeping the enemy confused with her Illusion Shadow technique, and Silver was able to match the Assassin's speed despite an injury to the abdomen area.

"Lightning Spear of Ice!" Shadow's voice echoed as her five images simultaneously spiked five rogues at once with a large spike of ice.

After dropping the Rogues, her shadow copies quickly disappeared from lack of energy to keep them sustained. After catching her breath for a brief moment, she caught sight of her former pursuer fighting for his life against the remaining assassin.

"You can handle things from here," Shadow wiped the sweat from her forehead. With the chaos in Payon slowly getting under control, she saw no more reason for her to stay, let alone help the person who pursued her for the jewels she had reclaimed.

Despite being known for his deadly accuracy, Silver was having a hard time landing a decisive shot against the Assassin. Any other time Silver wouldn't have much trouble against this type of foe, but combination of his injuries and smoke inhalation had proven enough of a hindrance where he was fighting hard just to match him.

They leaped from tree branch to tree branch as Silver fought hard to get a clean shot. A sudden exposed area among the branches gave him the chance he was looking for.

"Take this! Double Straf-" Silver started to attack until the very tree branch he was landing on snapped, "Oh no-!"

"Sonic Blow!" the Assassin's katars shined with power just as the first hit reached its mark.

Silver's momentary advantage did a complete 180 the moment that branch broke. He was helpless as the Assassin's attack landed a direct hit and finished even before Silver fell to the ground in agony. Proud of his assumed triumph, the Assassin grinned from the treetop at his victim before realizing that he was still alive.

"Is this why they call **you** the Silver Sniper?" the Assassin was feeling cocky after his successful assault, "Well it's been fun, but it's over now. Sleep eternally!" he dive-bombed towards Silver like a falcon to an injured bird.

_"Not…here,"_ Silver thought to himself as his bloody hand struggled to reach for his Hunter's bow, _"…if I can…just get one shot…"_ The attack left him too stunned to get up so soon, provided that he would be able to get up at all.

"Sonic Blo-!" The Assassin's attack was interrupted as he was forced to dodge a flurry of kunai passing between Silver and himself, "What the hell?"

"You owe me," the owner of those kunai shouted, "That's twice I've saved you now!" Shadow had returned just in time to save Silver's live.

"Meddling ninja," the Assassin was clearly angry from being interrupted, "If you had a death wish, you should've said so."

"I would if I did, but I don't," she replied, "But you can take a nice trip to hell with your buddies!" she hurled another set of kunai that the assassin was easily able to avoid, but nearly hit Silver as he pulled himself up."

"Hey, watch where you're throwing!" Silver barely avoided getting hit in the face as the kunai sliced off a few strands of his hair.

Shadow ignored Silver as she pulled out a spare kunai and engaged into close combat with the Assassin. Even Silver could barely keep up with their movements aside from when the clash of their blades lit up the night.

A rapid exchange left both of them visible in the moonlight as they came back to the ground. The Assassin landed perfectly like a cat while Shadow collapsed from landing on her injured leg too hard. If he couldn't get an easy kill against Silver, then he was about to make up for it by taking Shadow out before she could recover.

"Now Die!" the Assassin charged, "Sonic Blo-!"

"Hammer Fall!" A figure leaped from the shadows and brought down a mighty tremor in front of the charging Assassin. It was more than enough force to throw the Assassin completely off balance and back several feet.

_"Wow, what power!"_ Shadow thought to herself in disbelief. She had never learned about the raw power of a Mastersmith, let alone seen it in person.

"Howdy Silver!" he grinned to the injured Sniper, "What happened? You look like hell."

"Jack?" Silver held himself up against a tree, "When did you get here?"

"I was here earlier today to sell some merchandise," he replied, "I was just making preparations to go home when the town was attacked."

"Wait a second," Shadow began to recognize Jack, "Aren't you the lumberjack that loaned me that map?"

"Hey I remember you!" Jack turned to Shadow, "I hope the map was helpful to ya."

"Enough of this!" the Assassin recovered and charged Jack from behind. He was clearly filled with rage from the fight being drug out so long, "You can die too!"

"Watch out!" Shadow tried to warn Jack in time.

The Assassin was less than three feet from his new target when a silver flash pierced his heart from behind. The quality of that shot was signature to only one Sniper in all of Midgar. It's what earned him the nickname he now goes by.

"_That's_ why they call me the Silver Sniper." Silver grinned with his bow held high after taking his shot.

"Nice shot buddy." Jack gave Silver a thumb's up in approval.

Silver grinned, but couldn't respond. Overcome with pain and exhaustion, Silver dropped his bow as he collapsed to the ground.

"Silver! Hang on buddy! I'll help get ya fixed up!" Jack dropped his axe to aid his fallen friend.

They had fought as enemies in the forest, and just now fought as allies to help save the city. The threat to Payon was over, but there was a new question rattling around in Shadow's mind, _"What now?" _she thought to herself.

* * *

Commentary…

Okay, there's my half. Hope Princess Io posts her chapter soon. Hope you liked it!


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